Fabulous French Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the three secrets of French cooking? ›

"The three basic secrets of French cuisine are: butter, butter, butter," says Uzarowski. "Who could ever forget Julia Child's love affair with good butter? The importance here is to use actual, good butter, not margarine. The secret to French staying slim despite the heavy butter use is their portion control."

Pot-au-feu is the national dish of France. This essential version combines beef shank and rump roast with eight vegetables and a blend of herbs for an extra-comforting bowl. This classic French soup features tender beef, root vegetables, and marrow for a rich, flavorful meal.

Mirepoix consists of onions, carrots and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix is used in many dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. It is used either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter. Mirepoix is known as the holy trinity of French cooking.

Considered a national dish of France, pot-au-feu has no definitive recipe, and many regions of France have their own versions.

Here, we've gathered a sampling of our traditional French favorites: the wine-braised chicken stew coq au vin, the Provençal fish stew bouillabaisse, a vegetable-based take on French onion soup, and more. Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy cooking your way through these classics.

The mille-feuille is a quintessentially French dessert made of layers of flaky puff pastry and pastry cream. It's simply known as the mille-feuille meaning 'thousand leaves' referring to its many layers.

Foods that are a staple of the French diet include full-fat cheese and yogurt, butter, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables (often grilled or sautéed), small portions of meat (more often fish or chicken than red meat), wine, and dark chocolate.

French meals include a salad course after the entree and before dessert. European-trained chef Karl Guggenmos of Healthy Meals Supreme explains that in France, diners believe that a green salad consumed after a main course can assist with digestion.

What do French eat on Christmas? ›

Christmas Dinner

Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten. Another celebration, in some parts of France, is that 13 different desserts are eaten!

French cuisine is a sophisticated and refined style of cooking that is known for its rich flavors, elegant presentation, and use of high-quality ingredients.

The secret to French cooking is in the delicate preparation of each ingredients. Take any classic French recipe and you will find that the simplest of foods are enhanced in flavour and texture by precise culinary techniques.

The 3 Classes of French Cuisine: Haute Cuisine, Provincial Cuisine, and Nouvelle Cuisine. French cuisine has a storied past and a global reputation for excellence. While the nuances are vast, three main classes stand out: Haute cuisine, Provincial cuisine, and Nouvelle cuisine.